Crops
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
Illinois soybeans are far better this year verses last year, says one scout, and the Iowa corn results are a big shocker given the amount of disease pressure.
There is still up to 55% of the kernel dry weight left to be accumulated by many corn hybrids at this point — starch that can contribute significantly to grain fill and higher test weights.
China, the world’s largest soybean buyer,is turning to Brazilian cargies amid trade tensions with the U.S. and ongoing negotiations.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts take into account the lows and highs found out in the field as they encounter variability.
Crop scouts in Indiana and Nebraska peg corn more than 10 bu. higher than the three-year average and soybeans above average.
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While some scouts saw a big corn crop in the making in South Dakota, yield and pod counts came in below Pro Farmer Crop Tour numbers from 2020. Results from the eastern route peg corn at 185.69 bu. per acre, beating the tour record of 185 bu. set in 2021.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour’s first night reports record yield potential in South Dakota and a more variable crop in Ohio.
Marion Calmer is renown for his corn harvesting innovations. The fourth-generation Illinois farmer also has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to take more beans to the bin — and freely shares some of his insights and ideas here.
Love is in the Air: How a 13-Acre Corn Maze in Ohio Turned Into a Larger-Than-Life Marriage Proposal
Tim Sullivan had a grand idea this spring: turn his family’s corn maze into a 13-acre marriage proposal for his then girlfriend Caroline. With the help of local farmers, his dream became a reality: flying her over the corn maze to create an epic proposal.
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Proactive, integrated management is essential to control herbicide-resistant weeds and protect your soybean crop for future seasons.
USDA doesn’t survey actual fields until next month, which means Pro Farmer Crop Tour is the first time scouts, across a wide geography, will actually step into fields and see if the crop is as good as it looks from the road.
With at least four weeks left in the growing season, Ferrie encourages farmers to stay ahead of heavy disease pressure in fields, particularly in what he calls D hybrids — those that punch their yield card late-season.
One concern cited is that USDA tends to aim too high with its August yield estimates, based on what the data shows from the past decade. The other concern is how strong demand will be, given corn carryover projections.
Corn yield estimates in seven counties surrounding the community of Bloomington indicate farmers there will harvest an average crop, at best. That’s counter to what USDA predicts for Illinois yield results statewide.
If USDA predictions hold true, a massive U.S. corn crop is on the way.
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Weed seeds, pathogens in crop residue and insect larvae pose a threat to future crops if transferred during harvest. Here’s how post-harvest equipment cleaning can safeguard your operation.
The extent of the disease in the state is the worst one ISU Extension pathologist says she has ever seen. Farmers in 17 other states have also confirmed the disease.
Short-stature corn is often planted at higher populations because its architecture allows for better light interception and more efficient use of resources when plants are grown closer together. But that’s not always the case, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.
President Trump is urging China to buy more U.S. soybeans as they face a shortage, but analysts say quadrupling soybean orders is ‘highly unlikely.’
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NCGA’s Krista Swanson says it would take about 226 bu. of corn to buy a ton of ammonium phosphate, which is up from the 180 bu. it took at the beginning of this year. As fertilizer costs are on the rise, corn prices are now at or below $4, and it’s creating a grim outlook for 2026.
Camaraderie is cathartic. It lifts spirits, gives encouragement and reminds all of us we are valuable. Check out what farmers have to say about this year’s corn crop – the good, the bad and the in-between – and may their experiences lighten your load in the process.
A crop-protection startup is using AI and machine learning to identify and develop new active ingredients it says will help farmers solve issues like weed resistance faster and more economically.
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Reviton® Label Expansion Offers Growers Expanded Control Options
USDA reports 73% of the corn crop nationally is in good to excellent condition – a 5% increase over this same time in 2024. Industry analysts believe the Aug. 12 Crop Production report will boost its estimate for the 2025 crop because of the overall favorable growing season.
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Flooding at harvest hurts corn and soybean yields. Learn how variety selection, seed treatments and field management help protect crops until waters recede.
Nebraska grower Brian Herbek says a ‘finishing pass’ can help fill corn ears all the way to their tips with kernels and pack on more starch in the process. Hear more of Herbek’s insights along with David Hula and Randy Dowdy on Breaking Barriers With R&D.
So far pollination and disease issues are being discounted by the corn market. The key to how low prices could fall is dependent on just how much above 181 the corn yield is and will it show up in the Aug. 12 WASDE ?